


Will I See You Again?

by Rikkapikasnikka



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst and Fluff, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Canon-Typical Violence, Episode: s03 Chat Blanc, F/M, One-Shot, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Vulgar words in another language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22475311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rikkapikasnikka/pseuds/Rikkapikasnikka
Summary: “Look what you’re doing, dearest Adrien!” Papillon raged, his cane colliding with Chat’s baton. “Your mother is here! You could save her!”“Stop it! Leave me alone!”“We can be a family again, my son! Happy and whole!”Ladybug pushed herself to her feet. “My Adrien, don’t listen to him!”Chat’s mouth fell into a scowl. “I am Chat Blanc!”
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 27
Kudos: 120
Collections: January 2020 - Exchange





	Will I See You Again?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RoeOcean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoeOcean/gifts).



> This is my fic for WrathsBride for the January Fic Exchange on the Miraculous Fanfiction discord. My prompt was either a Dark AU with Chat Blanc - or fluff. So uh, have both! :D
> 
> Thank you to Sanj, Cedalodon, and Kimzy who beta read for me. Thank you Usa, Sibby, and Reyemile for the valuable writing advice while I was working on this.
> 
> The story starts right after Papillon akumatises his son in S3E22: Chat Blanc. Instead of blowing up Paris, Chat Blanc uses his new power to run. This story is a one-shot and will not have any additional chapters. If there's any confusion at the end, please feel free to ask for clarification!

“ _Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me_ alone!”

“ _Chat Blanc, I give you the power of infinite destruction_. _Together, we will take Ladybug’s Miraculous and save your mother_. Obey!”

“ _I’m sorry, Ladybug…_ _I don’t know what to do_ …”

She forgave him.

“My Adrien…” Ladybug mumbled, peering down into the hole Chat Blanc had opened beneath his feet. Papillon was raging mere meters from her, but she ignored him. The mess of tangled concrete, metal, earth and sewage was not marred by a figure in white: her boyfriend, her _partner_ , had escaped. 

She was still reeling from the revelation. In the last month, she had learned Adrien was her superhero companion. Today, she learned that his father was their enemy. And none of that compared to the discovery that Adrien’s mother - his _maman_ , who he always spoke about with a kind smile and sad eyes - was far from missing, but was instead being preserved in a casket beneath her own home. Gritting her teeth, Ladybug turned away from the pit of destruction.

Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“My son, come back here and _destroy_ her!” Papillon demanded, seething. The wild anger in his eyes spoke volumes; Ladybug could see that he was desperate, more desperate than her. But whatever Adrien replied with - if he replied at all - caused Papillon to cry out and turn his fury on Ladybug instead. 

“Give me your Miraculous!” He brandished his weapon and approached her.

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at him. “No.”

“If you really loved him, you’d want him to be happy!”

Her hand flew to her waist, gripping her yo-yo, as he took several more steps towards her. She refused to back down. 

“Of course I want him to be happy,” Ladybug said in a voice much calmer than she felt. “But the Wish has a terrible, unfathomable price to pay. Someone will have to take _her_ place!”

“Do you think I care?!” Papillon lunged at her, and Ladybug dodged as she unclipped her weapon and started to twirl it a tight circle. “If we can be a family again, it doesn’t matter!”

Dodge. Duck. Deflect. He kept coming at her, each attack more aggressive than the last, but Ladybug compelled herself to keep cool and level-headed against the panic brewing in her chest.

“Even if it took _Adrien_?!” Ladybug scowled, successfully wrapping the yo-yo around Papillon’s legs, pulling hard, and causing him to trip. She tried to keep the string taut, but he swung the cane at her head. Forced to go on the defensive, she let him go and flipped backwards - she had the advantage of range here, she had to utilize it!

“If my wish is for my family, it won’t take my son!” Papillon snarled, aware of her trying to create distance. He got to his feet, charged again, but she nimbly darted away.

“You don’t _know_ that!” She countered, dodging another swing of his cane. Suddenly, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye - and Ladybug cursed as she realized Mayura had come to help Papillon.

If Papillon was Gabriel Agreste, was Mayura Nathalie Sancœur?

Outnumbered, and knowing that Mayura could still summon a sentimonster to tip the odds further in their favour, Ladybug had to make a decision: use Lucky Charm, risk losing her transformation, risk the miraculous - or flee. 

This was not a fight she could easily win. Not without her partner, and definitely not with an akuma running around Paris. She needed backup, so she’d have to find Master Fu, but in order to find him-

“ _Lucky Charm_!” She cried after she had put more distance between herself and her enemies. A red and spotted statue of Marianne fell into her hands. Ladybug held it, briefly confused, before the clue clicked in her head. She knew of two such landmarks her Lucky Charm could be referring to, but the one it most resembled was further away, close to the eastern border of the city.

Ladybug cast out her yo-yo and hauled herself away just as Mayura tried to jump on her. Thinking fast, she used the metal beams of the Eiffel Tower to get out of the large, flat space that surrounded it - but it wasn’t enough to gain any significant advantage as Papillon seemed to catch up just as easily. Ladybug landed in the park to the southwest of the tower, the sharp smell of summer flowers hitting her nose. She was just as acutely aware of her timer as she hopped fences and weaved through the trees and tourists. Ladybug willed her legs to move faster, her mind to think quicker, her hands to stop shaking…

Finally! Buildings!

She pulled herself up as quickly as she could, relief flooding through her when her feet touched roof tiles instead of concrete. Here, she had an advantage. Ladybug and Chat Noir ran these rooftops several nights a week, surely she could lose them now! And for the moment, it seemed to be working. Ladybug gained some easy distance as she leapt from one building to the next, making sure that she was heading _away_ from the metro station that Marinette would have to eventually take to the Place de la Nation.

But her earrings were beeping, and she had to find a safe spot to drop her transformation soon. Her split second of hesitation as Ladybug considered a remote courtyard cost her - Mayura could be seen two rooftops behind her, catching up fast, her dress billowing out behind her. Ladybug kept moving, darting behind chimneys and leaping to lower buildings in the hope of throwing Mayura off the trail, but the peacock kept up well enough to not be fooled.

Ladybug must have underestimated her speed, or she had lost too much ground trying to throw her off, because Mayura caught up with her when she only had a minute remaining on her earrings. A fan darted out, trying to reach her, but Ladybug dodged and weaved backwards, panting, planning, _panicking_...

“Leave her _alone_!”

A sudden blur of white and snarling rage rushed past her and knocked Mayura off the roof. It stopped at the edge, hissing loudly at the street below, where Mayura had surely landed. Ladybug blinked, shocked at the sudden return of her partner, and she cautiously approached him.

“Chat-”

“ _No_!” He screamed, hissing again. He backed away from her on all fours, baring his teeth at her, pale blue eyes darting frantically in every which way. “You don’t have _time_!”

Angry that he was right, angrier that she could do nothing for him, Ladybug ran as Chat Blanc turned his attention to Papillon.

* * *

“What am I gonna do, Tikki?” Marinette whispered to her purse as she waited in the metro for the train to arrive. Her kwami was slowly consuming a macaron, chewing thoughtfully. “Adrien- Chat- he’s all _alone_ …” She crossed her arms and rubbed her biceps, as if fending off an imaginary chill. Yet her body was covered in sweat from the summer heat. Normally, Parisian summers were mild and warm, but the recent heat wave had launched temperatures into the grueling mid-thirties. Adrien had complained, rather adorably, about it a few weeks ago - photoshoots in the park, in a suit, with the evening sun on his back? What had his father been _thinking_?

What was Gabriel thinking _now_?

“I don’t know, Marinette.” Tikki said softly. “Hopefully Master Fu will know what to do.”

But there was a worry in her kwami’s gaze. Marinette could read it. As the train pulled into the station, she shut her purse, waited in line, and then found the most secluded corner she could on the train car. She opened her purse again once she was seated. Tikki had finished the macaron.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette whispered, constantly checking to make sure no one was looking her way. Tikki fidgeted, nervous. 

“It’s just…” Her kwami started. “You’re not supposed to know each other’s secret identities. What if Master Fu tries to take the Miraculous away again?”

Honestly, she hadn’t thought of that. Marinette sat back in her seat, contemplating the possibility. But would a new Ladybug even stand a _chance_ against Chat Blanc? Against Papillon and Mayura _and_ an akuma? Without a trusty black cat at their side, and with no experience against the enemy, it spelled certain doom. No, Marinette would not let Master Fu take her Miraculous again: Not until, at the very least, Adrien was de-evilised and the butterfly brooch was in her hands. 

“I won’t let that happen, Tikki.” Marinette murmured, and that was the end of their conversation. 

She decided to take the long way to the Place de la Nation. She switched trains a few times, backtracking occasionally to arrive at busier stations. At one point, she bought a hat to hide her face and tied her hair into a bun. Marinette wished she could do more to hide herself. 

Between stops, while she sat on the train, she watched the news feed on her phone. Several other riders were also watching the broadcast, and they were muttering amongst themselves, but Marinette could only chew her bottom lip in worry. Chat and Papillon traded blows until Mayura rejoined them. Obviously desperate, her partner put some distance between himself and his enemies, summoned that same, glowing orb of power, and destroyed the roof of the building. A loud gasp further up the train car made Marinette glance upwards, but she quickly looked back down.

Papillon was furious. The camera tried to follow Chat Blanc as he made his escape, but the dust soon made that impossible. It swiveled back to Mayura and Papillon, and Marinette could see that they had lost Chat as well. Relief, guilt, and fear stirred in her gut: Adrien had escaped, but for how long? How would she find him once she had backup? How would she find him _before_ Papillon? 

It took nearly an hour to reach her destination, but Marinette walked out of the metro station on shaky legs, as if she had just departed the battle. She waited at the crosswalk, vibrating with nervous energy, and walked across the street with a group of tourists speaking in some lilting foreign language. 

It didn’t take her long to find Master Fu. He was seated on the same, blue-grey cooler that she had seen him with last time, flipping through a newspaper that Marinette didn’t recognize as French. His back was to the bronze statue at the center of the square: the Triumph of the Republic. The real-life version of her Lucky Charm Marianne stood at the very top, standing in a chariot pulled by lions, surrounded by symbolic figures frozen in time. She vaguely remembered a class field trip to the location when she was in elementary school.

“Marinette,” he said, never looking from his paper as she stood next to him, trembling. She didn’t dare catch his eye. “What brings you here?”

She swallowed before she spoke. “Chat Noir has been...akumatised. We’ve learned who Papillon is, and the truth…” Her teeth found her bottom lip again, worrying it. “It’s horrible, Master.” She mumbled. Her fingers curled into fists and her face pulled itself taut with stress.

He snapped his head up from the paper to look at her, eyes wide with fear. Carefully, Fu folded the paper and placed it in his lap, his gaze steely. “Who?” He asked, but Marinette flinched and looked away. 

“I can’t…” She said through clenched teeth. “I need help, Master. I need backup. Without Chat Noir, it’s just me against three, four, enemies. Two at the very least, if Chat Blanc stays out of it and Mayura doesn’t summon a sentimonster. I’m at a disadvantage.”

Silence, until…

“I’m sorry, Marinette.” Master Fu stood up and placed his paper into his bag as Marinette snapped her head around to stare at him. “I cannot allow you to bring another into this fight. It’s too _dangerous_.”

“That’s exactly why I need help!” Her voice came out strained and high-pitched. A couple on the other side of the sidewalk looked at them oddly, and Marinette lowered her volume to a whisper. “Chat Blanc has the _infinite_ power of destruction. I can’t combat that by myself, Master.”

He furiously shook his head as he continued to pack up, double checking that the cooler was still locked. “You must fight this one alone.”

“What about Papillon? Mayura?” She growled, circling around when he tried to leave. 

“A battle for another day. Confront solely Chat Noir, and you can win. Afterwards, you will hand his Miraculous over to me.”

“ _What_?!” 

The couple gave them dirty looks at Marinette’s screech, but she ignored them.

“His identity has been compromised, and your’s could be as well-”

“Master, with all due respect,” Marinette growled, preventing his escape again as she moved in front of him. “I can _not_ do that.”

Fu’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Then I will take _both_ your’s and his when this is done. We will find new holders to defend Paris.” 

“ _No_ ,” Marinette forced out. “I’ll give up our Miraculous when, and _only_ when, I give you the butterfly and the peacock as well.”

Before he could reply, before he could scold her, she turned on her heel and marched across the grass to make her way back to the metro station. She was _seething_ , her breaths coming in short, painful gasps, as she tried to think clearly. Confront Chat Blanc alone? What was he thinking?! She wanted Rena Rouge, Carapace, or even just Queen Bee at her side for this. At the minimum, it would be nice to have someone to watch her back.

As she was walking back across the crosswalk, her cell phone started to ring. Marinette picked it up, half expecting it to be Master Fu, but the name on the front was simply, ‘ _maman_ ’. After several deep breaths, she answered it. 

“ _Maman_ , I’m on my way home.” She said instantly, heading towards the station. 

“Marinette, please be careful. We just heard there’s an akuma on the loose and I know you’re on a date with Adrien today, but-”

Her mother’s worried voice soothed Marinette’s frazzled nerves, but hearing Adrien’s name sent a jolt of pain through her chest. 

“-it’s just too dangerous.”

“We’ll be careful. The akuma was around the Eiffel Tower, right?”

“Yes,” came Sabine’s reply after a second of quiet, as if she was double checking the information.

“We’re in the twelfth arrondissement, so we’re coming from the opposite direction. I’ll text you when we’re off the train, okay?” She hesitated outside the station entrance, hand on her purse as her eyes scanned the crowd for Master Fu.

“Alright, sweetie. Stay safe. We love you. Both of you.”

“We love you too, _maman_.”

Marinette hung up on her mother, and she desperately tried to hold back the sob that threatened to crawl out of her throat. If Adrien came out of this intact- if they _both_ came out of this intact- she was dragging him home, to her home, and giving him a proper family. In her mind, Gabriel had lost all right to call him his son after today.

* * *

Yet the scenario that played out once she was home wasn’t quite what she had in mind.

Her parents inquired about her boyfriend, of course, but Marinette calmly said that he had gone home. They gave her words of comfort about the akuma, and then settled down for dinner. After they had eaten, the leftovers were wrapped up and put away, and all the dishes were clean and dry, Marinette finally went up to her room. She was planning to transform and start combing Paris for Adrien, but all of those plans came to a screeching halt. 

Chat Blanc was in her bed.

It took all of her self-control to not scream: the very sight of him had terrified the living daylights out of her. Yet a split second later, Marinette realized he was asleep, curled up like a cat against her pillows. Tikki peaked out of her purse.

“I’ve never seen an akuma sleep before,” the little kwami stated, slowly rising up to get a good look at Chat Blanc. “Maybe-?”

“Tikki, leave him be.” Marinette mumbled. Tikki gave her a sharp look.

“This is our chance to find the akuma and _save_ him.”

Marinette nibbled her bottom lip. Her kwami had a point, but instinct held her back. He looked almost peaceful as he slumbered, ears occasionally twitching and his tail swishing. As she approached her desk, he shifted and growled sleepily.

Slowly, Marinette picked up her sketchbook and climbed the ladder to her bed. Tikki zipped around, anxious, but Marinette sat on the edge of the mattress and ignored both kwami and akuma in favour of opening the book to a blank page and scribbling with a pencil. For what could’ve been hours, she laboured over models and clothes and measurements, but when Chat Blanc finally stirred, it was only nine. 

Tikki hid in Marinette’s shirt as he opened one blue, cold, _wild_ eye and stared at her. A soft sound rumbled in his throat - a purr, she thought at first, but as it gained volume, she heard it for the growl it was.

“Earrings,” he huffed. Marinette hesitated, but she made no move to take them off. She could still see the black cat ring on his finger, silver and plain instead of black and green, so he hadn’t given it to Papillon.

“No.” 

The growl grew louder in his throat, but he took no action against her. His tail swished and flicked faster than before, as if agitated.

“Why not?” He pouted.

“What do you plan to do with them?” She asked instead, her sketch lines suddenly not-so-clean as her fingers trembled.

Chat didn’t answer right away. He chirped, a sound she had never heard Chat Noir make but had heard from real cats, and his hands started to knead at her bedding. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he stopped. 

“Don’t put holes in my blankets, Adrien.”

“ _Chat Blanc_ ,” he corrected, his ears laying flat as he hissed his name. But he relaxed a moment later. “I… I don’t know.” 

“You don’t know?”

“I can’t… Father… Papillon wants them. I can’t. _Maman_ is…”

Her heart twisted in her chest. He was fighting with himself, torn irrationally between his loyalty to his family and his duty as Chat Noir, and Marinette couldn’t imagine that being akumatised while transformed made that decision any easier. Gently, she closed her sketchbook and laid it to the side, and then moved slowly towards him. She watched his expression as it moved from calm, to apprehensive, to fear. When she was an arm’s length away, Chat hissed, ears suddenly drawn back and shoulders hunched. Marinette paused.

“It’s alright, kitty.” She whispered, her voice soft. “I won’t hurt you.”

A low noise of annoyance grumbled in his throat, but it faded as she remained still. Over the course of several minutes, Chat relaxed, his posture loosened, and his ears perked back up. Marinette gradually lifted her hand and held it out to him, the back of her palm towards his nose, her fingers relaxed, and he sniffed it, curious, anxious, his blue eyes never leaving her face.

It was like approaching a skittish wild animal, she thought. But there was a definite human intelligence to him that she could not brush aside, and it unnerved her. When he pulled his face back from her hand, Marinette tried approaching him again. This time, he didn’t react, but his eyes still did not blink or drift away. Cautiously, only vaguely aware that what she was doing was _insane_ , Marinette calmly reached forward and laid her hand on his cheek. 

All the ferocity in his blue gaze faded away, replaced with shock. Chat stiffened under her touch, but it didn’t take long for him to lean into it, his eyelids drooping. Marinette moved her hand upwards, tucking her fingers into his hair and scratching behind his ears. Chat’s eyes closed all the way, and a purr vibrated through his chest. Marinette kept herself propped up with her right arm on the bed as her left continued to give him scratches, her face splitting into a loving smile. 

Her boyfriend, her partner, her sweet _chaton_ , was in there still.

“Do you want to stay the night, Chat?” Marinette offered him after a moment. She could hear Tikki gasp behind her, but she didn’t care. Adrien couldn’t go home, and she wasn’t about to let him sleep in some dingy alley. He opened his eyes to stare at her, the pupils narrowing, as if he was contemplating the decision.

“Shouldn’t,” he mumbled. “Papillon… Father...”

“He already knows. I don’t care.”

Chat Blanc continued to purr as her scratches grew ever gentler, and finally, he caved with a nod. Marinette drew her hand away, and he pouted at the lack of touch.

“Wait here,” she said as she moved off the bed and onto the ladder. “I’ll get you something to eat.”

He peered over the edge of the railing as she walked to the trap door, his curious stare reminding her of Adrien, and he watched her until she disappeared down the stairs. As she flicked on the light in the kitchen, Marinette couldn’t help but be reminded of all the times she had snuck her boyfriend treats and pastries. His dazzling smiles, his crushing hugs, and his thank-you kisses the only reasons she had continued to smuggle him snack after snack.

“What do akumas even _eat_?” Marinette mumbled, pulling open the fridge. Adrien liked cookies, yes, and Tikki was sitting by the cookie jar while hopefully staring at her holder, but she couldn’t feed a hungry boy _just_ cookies. Unsure of what to do, and glad that her parents were already in bed, Marinette pulled out the bread, some cheese, some lunchmeat, and a slew of other random ingredients to assemble a sandwich.

“I’m not going to question your judgement, Marinette.” Tikki said softly. “But you should really try to cleanse the akuma tonight.”

“I’m not going to betray his trust right after I’ve earned it, Tikki.” Marinette returned, keeping her voice low. 

“Please,” her kwami begged. “At least consider it?”

Marinette bit her bottom lip, nodded, and turned her full focus onto constructing the sandwich.

She carried the makeshift dinner back upstairs on a paper plate in one hand and a glass of water and napkins in the other. She had cut the sandwich in half and perched two cookies beside it for him as well. Tikki was nibbling on a third as she rode on Marinette’s shoulder, but she darted out of sight once they cleared the trap door. Marinette put the food down on her desk, softly closed the trap door, and finally spoke.

“You’re gonna have to eat down here, Adrien. I don’t want crumbs in my bed.”

“ _Chat Blanc_ ,” he hissed again, leering over the railing at her. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he stared at her, confused. She sighed.

“Just...come eat. I’ll change into pyjamas, and then we can get some sleep. Okay?”

He hesitated, but he nodded. Like a big cat, he slunk down the ladder and moved across her floor, watching her all the while, but Marinette forced herself to look away. She started ruffling through her clothes for clean pyjamas, and when she chanced a glance at him again, he was cautiously sniffing the sandwich she had prepared. 

“I didn’t poison it,” Marinette chuckled. “I promise.”

He lifted the top layer of bread with the tips of his claws, sniffed again, and his eyes shifted to her as he dropped it. Chat Blanc sat back from the plate, his posture reminding her of when Chat Noir would perch on her balcony railing. Marinette swallowed thickly.

“Why?” He asked, his voice quiet.

She pulled out a shirt that was too big for her and her usual long pyjama bottoms. It was hot, and a tank top and shorts would probably be more appropriate for the sticky weather, but Marinette was more than aware that she’d be sharing a bed with a boy. And not just _any_ boy, her boyfriend, turned superhero, turned akuma…

She seriously tried not to dwell on it, but her fingers were trembling as she folded her clothes back into place. 

“I care about you, y’know.” She started simply, moving to one of the screen dividers so she could change. When she was properly hidden, she started to shed her clothes. “I don’t know how much you remember, or what you know-”

“Everything,” came his voice, but it sounded muffled. Like he had food in his mouth. Marinette smiled softly as she pulled the pyjama shirt over her head.

“Then you know who you are to me. Who I am to you.”

“...Milady.” Marinette flinched at the sudden reverence he put behind that one word. 

“...Yes,” she replied, her tone cautious. Tikki was probably scowling somewhere. “And you’re _mon chaton_. My kitten. My Adrien.”

Now in her pyjamas, she pushed the divider back so she could look at him. He hadn’t corrected her right away, like he had before, but there was an uneasiness to him that spoke volumes. He had already eaten half the sandwich and one of the cookies; the other half was part-way in his mouth. Chat Blanc lacked the mannerisms Adrien often employed when he ate, and he was constantly shoving more and more into his face as he chewed, swallowed, inhaled-

Marinette took a deep breath and walked forward. “Slow down,” she said as she sat beside him. “You’ll choke.”

He paused, but his eyes never left her. He lowered the sandwich and slowly chewed on what was still in his mouth. Marinette picked up one of the napkins and offered it to him, but when he only swallowed and didn’t take it, she rolled her eyes and wiped his face off for him. Chat scowled and leaned away, shoving the rest of the sandwich in his mouth in such a childish act of defiance that Marinette giggled. He chewed, swallowed, and continued to stare at her.

Her gaze flickered to the cookie. His blue eyes did too, and they narrowed. 

“Mine.” He growled, grabbing the plate and dragging it towards him.

“I wasn’t going to take it, Adrien.” Marinette said with a smirk. She knew _exactly_ how protective her partner could get when it came to sweets.

Yet…

She was unprepared for when he gently picked the cookie up, broke it in half, and offered her the part he did not immediately shove into his mouth.

“Chat Blanc.” He repeated, but his conviction was wavering. Marinette took the offered cookie half, but she didn’t eat it. 

“I won’t call you that,” she confessed. “That’s… This isn’t who _you_ are, Chat.” She looked down at her hands, at the cookie. “You’ll always be my Chat Noir, my Adrien, to me.”

Marinette could feel the tears tickling in the corners of her eyes, and she did her best to hold them back. In an attempt to distract herself, she bit into the cookie, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t go away, even when she swallowed. She finished the treat quicker than she expected, and the prickling in her eyes grew hot.

Chat pressed his face close to hers when the first tear escaped down her cheek. He reached up and softly wiped it away, but Marinette couldn’t read the stoic expression on his face.

Adrien would’ve cried with her. Chat Noir would’ve tried to smile for her. Chat Blanc just...stared. It hurt, more than she had words for, and Marinette took several deep breaths to prevent more tears from falling. She put the used napkin back on the plate, stood up, and placed the plate on the desk. She’d throw it away tomorrow.

“C’mon, _mon chaton_ , let’s get some sleep.”

She turned off all the lights in her bedroom except for the one still shining by her bed, and he jumped from the floor to her loft bed in a single, fluid pounce that shocked her. Marinette frowned at him as she climbed the ladder, glaring at him as he curled up in the far corner of the bed like a cat. His tail flickered, but otherwise, he didn’t acknowledge her annoyance. Instead, he seemed determined to not meet her gaze anymore. 

After she crawled under the covers and flicked off the last remaining light, Marinette reached out and started scratching behind his ears again. His white hair was stark and bright even in the dark, and his blue eyes glowed as he cracked them open to watch her. Slowly, Chat began to purr, the sound vibrating in the calm between them. After awhile, he moved closer to her, and Marinette pulled the comforter up and over him so he could cuddle against her.

As he nuzzled into her palm, a silent request for more scritches, Marinette mumbled the one question on her mind.

“Will you be here in the morning?”

His purring suddenly stopped. It was the only answer she needed.

* * *

Sure enough, when Marinette opened her eyes in the morning, Chat Blanc was gone. The space beside her was long cold, despite how overwhelmingly hot the weather was. She felt overheated and sticky, and she kicked off the comforter to try and find some relief. It didn’t work.

Groaning, Marinette rolled out of bed and gathered clothes for an outfit. Her mind, however, was elsewhere: where would Chat go, so early in the morning? Her phone showed it was only a little after seven - surely he hadn’t gone back home?

What she needed was a shower. Cool water, clean hair, clean skin, and maybe then Marinette could focus on solving their problems.

As she brushed her wet hair into pigtails, quietly discussing with Tikki about what they should do, Marinette still hadn’t found a solution. Perhaps her kwami was right: she should’ve taken the opportunity to cleanse the akuma last night, when Chat trusted her and showed her mercy. Yet the idea of betraying his trust, when their relationship relied so heavily upon it, put a bitter taste in her mouth. Even if Adrien was evilised, Marinette couldn’t stomach the idea of turning on him. She refused to be like the rest of his family.

“You’ll figure something out, Marinette.” Tikki said tiredly. “You always do.”

“This is bigger,” Marinette mumbled, rubbing lotion into her hands. Some nice, expensive brand; a gift from Adrien, some months ago. “This is _so_ much bigger, Tikki. I’m…”

“Scared?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s normal to be scared.”

But the fear felt like a pit in her belly and a weight on her heart. After patting her face to compel herself to focus, Marinette excited the bathroom and met up with her parents for breakfast. They weren’t surprised to see her up early, but they were surprised to hear that she would be leaving after the meal.

“I’m...meeting up with Adrien.” Marinette lied. Or told the truth. She wasn’t sure yet.

Her mum pursed her lips. “That akuma is still running loose, dear. According to the news, Ladybug hasn’t even fixed that sinkhole by the Eiffel Tower.”

“The police have it tied off,” her father added, flipping over the newspaper. “Where will you guys be going?”

“Uhm…” Marinette hesitated. They had to be far from the Eiffel Tower if she didn’t want her parents to worry, but…that was exactly where she was going to be. “Parc de la Villette,” she answered. “We’ll take line seven the whole time.”

Sabine’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you two go just a few weeks ago?”

 _Shoot_.

“Yeah!” Marinette smiled, taking a drink of her juice so she had a few extra seconds to organize her thoughts. “We uh, saw the City of Science last time. Adrien wants to check out the music museum.” Not _exactly_ a lie, but she was pretty sure that Chat Blanc would find the City of Music dry and boring if they actually went.

“Alright, well, you two be safe. Please.” 

“We will.” Marinette promised, knowing that she’d have to break it.

The moment she left the house, Marinette found a secluded spot to transform, and Ladybug headed in the opposite direction of safety: Towards the Eiffel Tower.

Running along the rooftops, Ladybug stopped and examined the sections damaged by Chat Blanc yesterday when he had fended off Papillon and Mayura. The police had already blocked all access to the buildings, and she could see that the integrity of the roof of this one was suffering. Ladybug peered into the opening, swallowing thickly when she realized she could count two, three, four floors down. Shuddering, she continued onward to the Champ de Mars.

“Ladybug!” 

A police officer waved her down once she reached the base of the Eiffel Tower. Normally, she would’ve looked up and admired it; today, she once again looked down into a yawning chasm, this one marked off by temporary metal fences and yellow tape.

“I do apologise, officer.” Ladybug started, reeling in her yo-yo as she walked forward. “This akuma has been elusive and...destructive.”

“We’ve yet to see it return here,” he reported, pointing back at the hole. “It’s all white, right?”

“Yes,” Ladybug answered, confident but cautious. “Has anyone reported seeing it today?”

“Not yet. We’ll send out an alert if we get any confirmations or activity.”

“Thank you, my partner and I truly appreciate all the work you’ve done. Please, if there’s anyth-”

“ _Ladybug_!”

The sharp cry interrupted their conversation, and Ladybug gritted her teeth as she turned to stare down a reporter on the other side of the police line. A cameraman behind the woman was slowly retraining the lens on the superheroine; they had probably arrived here earlier to film the devastation and to catch a glimpse of the akuma.

“Ladybug, there are many rumors circulating about this newest akuma!” The reporter eagerly barged ahead, clenching her microphone, and Ladybug felt her face fall. “We’ve been thinking - is the akuma actually Chat Noir? Has one of Paris’ mighty superheros fallen?”

The question brewed something thick and dark in Ladybug’s gut. Clenching her teeth as tight as possible, she calmly approached the reporter and the camera, blue eyes flickering between the woman’s face and the reflective lens.

“Are you live?” She asked, as sweet as she could, but her voice felt hollow.

The reporter nodded and held out the mic, clearly excited.

Ladybug easily slipped into her smile for civilians as she turned and addressed the camera straight-on.

“My partner and I would like to remind the citizens of Paris that we are here to protect them, at any cost. We kindly ask that civilians do not engage the akuma, and that any sightings of it should be reported to the police. We are doing our best, but the akuma is elusive, dangerous, and clever. Please, stay safe and out of trouble.”

The superheroine voice came easily to her nowadays, her cool confidence and gentle smile a soothing balm on the Parisians’ worries. Yet as Ladybug turned away from the camera, the reporter pushed her point again. 

“But, Ladybug, we want to know if-”

“I have no further comment.” 

“-this new akuma is Chat Noir or-”

“ _No_ ,” she choked out, and this time, she flung out her yo-yo and pulled herself up the Eiffel Tower, breathing heavily.

Of course, some people would make the connection between Chat Noir and Chat Blanc - the later was only a white-out version of the former, afterall. Ladybug saw no point in alarming the public with the truth. They would pester him, ask him how he had become vulnerable to an akuma, and if Chat Noir could be akumatised, how long would it be before Ladybug was as well? It would create doubt, fear, and distrust in the civilians that they were supposed to protect. She could win this battle, but the truth would ensure Papillon an upper hand in the war.

The latticework tower was the tallest structure in Paris, but due to the damage to the ground around it, it had been closed off to tourists for the day. Ladybug took advantage of the large, empty observation deck on the first level to examine the park and city, looking for any flash of white. A car driving down Quai Branly, a flock of doves leaping suddenly from a tree, the sun shining off a metal beam…

A giant, stiff, plastic swan tearing up trees like broccoli? 

It was obviously an amok; hastily made, it lacked the coordination of that purple, winged insect Ladybug remembered from Hero’s day, and it didn’t seem to have any special abilities like Poupeflekta had. However, it was still destructive - it continued to rip up trees with its giant beak, tossing them aside like mere sticks, its webbed feet leaving prints in the dirt paths. Ladybug paced the observation deck, watching it, looking for the item that the peacock feather could be inhabiting before attempting to engage, but-

Mayura made the decision for her. The moment the swan started towards the police officers, Ladybug slung out her yo-yo. The wire wrapped around the swan’s neck, and Ladybug backed up, took a running start, and jumped off the Eiffel. She flung herself sideways, swinging up and around, her momentum and speed causing the swan to teeter sideways and slip. Ladybug grunted as she landed, reeling in her yo-yo.

The amok struggled in the dirt, it’s lopsided body unable to easily right itself. Ladybug ducked under the flailing feet, looking around for any sign of the amokitised object, but with the dust being kicked into the air, she could barely see in front of her face. Thinking fast, she flipped backwards, slung her yo-yo around one of its feet, and started to reel it towards her. The swan had nearly regained its footing, but now it toppled over again, fighting against her superhuman strength. Ladybug grunted, and she wrapped the yo-yo wire around her elbow as she continued to pull.

“ _Cataclysm_!” 

Her eyes went wide.

“Chat, _no_!”

From previous experiences, Ladybug expected the destructive power of the black cat to worsen the situation. The sentimonster would go crazy, no longer able to follow and take commands, its rampage suddenly unchecked. Combined with Chat Blanc’s infinite destruction, she did _not_ want to know what would happen. 

Yet the swan stopped flailing. From the point where his hand made contact, the body of the amok turned first to charcoal, and then to ash as Chat continued to release his own anger upon it. He howled, he cried, and Ladybug shuddered as she pulled her yo-yo back. He was _screaming_.

“ _Leave her_ alone!!”

“Chat!” Ladybug called back, and his wild blue eyes found hers. He stared at her, momentarily stunned, until Papillon whispered in his ear. He shook his head frantically, jumping off the body of the sentimonster as it dissolved into nothing. Ladybug spun her yo-yo in a tight circle as she approached the pile of ash, looking for a purple feather, but she couldn’t see anything. She gulped.

She hoped that when she purified Adrien, she could fix this mess too.

He flung himself at her, and Ladybug barely dodged his claws as he tried to grab for her earrings. His other hand caught her wrist; Ladybug lifted it, grabbed him with her freehand, then twisted her hips to fling him to the ground. Chat Blanc growled as she pinned him, and he wiggled against her, eventually flailing enough to get a knee in-between them and pushing her away with his other foot. Ladybug hissed, cursing her lack of physical strength in comparison to his, and she rolled back to her feet as he lifted himself into a crouched position. 

Yet Chat Blanc didn’t charge at her again. Instead, he whimpered, abruptly turned coward, and he fled. Shocked, Ladybug hooked her yo-yo back on her waist as she chased after him, afraid to lose him. His four-legged gait was more reminiscent of a cat’s than a human’s, and she struggled to follow him across the park. He leapt to a tree, to a light pole, and then to the top of a building. She followed. 

He was waiting for her up there, and they engaged in a fight that once again, ended in her favour and his retreat. He jumped from one roof to the next, but it was only after their third confrontation that Ladybug realized what Adrien was doing.

 _Clever kitty_ , she thought. He was leading her somewhere. While his path wasn’t exactly linear, they were heading steadily eastward, following the bank of the Seine. She wasn’t quite sure of their destination, but when he stopped for a fourth time in an attempt to snag her earrings, Ladybug smiled at him and gave him a single nod. It stopped him in his tracks, surprise flashing through his face before he growled and started the fight.

The damage to the Agreste Mansion was still present. They had broken through to the underground just yesterday, but as Ladybug examined the hole that bled sunlight onto that metal walkway, the discovery may as well have taken place a year ago. Chat Blanc was pacing the outer edge of the damage, his ears back and his claws clicking on the floor, chirping and growling in equal measure, his blue eyes flickering between the garden below and Ladybug above. He was shaking. 

Master Fu’s words flashed through her mind: If she engaged Chat Blanc alone, she could win, but if Papillon and Mayura were allowed to join the fight, there was no way she could handle their combined force. Together, the two of them circled the pit, Chat Blanc’s sorrow and grief near tangible in the air. 

He stopped, and she paused across from him. Papillon was talking to him again, and Chat scowled. Unexpectedly, he turned his back on her and looked at his home - or his prison, Ladybug lamented, her heart heavy in her chest - and he _yowled_. Her grip on her yo-yo tightened, and as Chat Blanc started to screech like a cat preparing for battle, his fangs flashing, she twirled it with quick flicks of her wrist.

“Coward!” He cried. “ _Père_! Face me! Face _us_!" 

"Adrien, please-" Ladybug tried to call out to him, but he turned back and glared at her. She fell silent, and he directed his attention back at Papillon.

" _Vous êtes sans couilles_!"

"Adrien!"

" _Une lavette_!" 

“That’s enough.”

They both twirled around to face their enemy. Gabriel, Ladybug reminded herself, even though he currently donned the suit of Papillon. A shudder ran through her veins as he regarded them as if they were dirt on his shoe, children to be dismissed. His shoulders rouse as he let loose a heavy sigh, his hands perched on the cane in front of him. Chat moved to sit beside her, his hackles raised, his whole body tensed for battle, but his eyes betrayed his fear. 

“You’ve made _such_ a disappointing akuma, my son.” 

Ladybug gritted her teeth and clenched her free fist. “How dare-”

“Stay out of this, Mlle Dupain-Cheng.” Papillon scolded her, and she found herself obeying.

After all, what could she say to this man to make him _see_? Adrien had done nothing but try and live up to the ruthless and relentless expectations his father had imposed on him, floundering to prove himself worthy in his father’s eyes. And Marinette had always wondered, worthy of what? Love? Attention? Basic human kindness? Gabriel had never provided any of that; he had denied Adrien what her parents always gave in abundance. 

Her heart ached.

“Don’t speak to her!” Chat hissed, but Papillon’s gaze shifted to him and he smirked. 

“Grab her Miraculous.”

“No- _Nnnng_!”

Chat crumbled to the ground, his body moving unnaturally in unimaginable pain. The glow of the butterfly mask on both their faces filled her lungs with fear, yet Chat Blanc’s convulsions drove her body into action. Terrified and angry, Ladybug finally threw her yo-yo at Papillon, moving herself between her partner and his father, relief flooding her only when Papillon deflected the yo-yo with his cane and Chat went still. His ragged panting betrayed his exhaustion, and Ladybug surged forward to confront the _real_ enemy. Screw the akuma, screw her chances: Papillon could not be allowed to escape. Not after that.

What parent _did_ this? 

Their fight was a weird, three-way match where the third party constantly bounced back and forth. As Ladybug put Papillon on the defensive, coming at him with grabs and kicks and yo-yo strings, he called for his akuma to defend him. And Chat Blanc did, out of loyalty to the butterfly miraculous or his father, Ladybug wasn’t sure. She was forced to dodge claws and break his hold on her when he grabbed her, but his attention was always half-hearted - as if he was reluctant to fight her.

“Snap out of it, Adrien!” She demanded, pinning Chat Blanc to the ground again as Papillon approached with his cane raised. She managed to deflect it, wrap her yo-yo around it, and she flung it into the yawning pit - as Chat Noir had done similarly yesterday. It banged against the metal walkway below, and Chat Blanc whimpered at the sound.

“Fight her, my son!”

Chat growled and struggled again as Papillon reached for her with his bare hands, but Ladybug quickly leapt backwards and let her partner free. Chat Blanc launched himself at Papillon instead, and the two grappled with each other as Ladybug tried to come up with a plan. She needed-

“ _Lucky Charm_!” 

But what fell into her hands was a plush toy, a red and black spotted horse with a spiral horn and a wavy mane, and her brain failed to make any sort of connection. Papillon laughed.

“This isn’t a game! Children should just _do what they’re told_!” 

“Shut up!”

Ladybug glanced frantically around, but her breath caught when Papillon successfully held his own son by the throat, bending his ring-hand backwards until Chat cried in pain. Without thinking, she flung out her yo-yo and wrapped it around Papillon’s arm, yanking it away so that he lost his grip-

“ _Cataclysm_!”

-and now she’s free falling.

Out of clear frustration, Chat had destroyed the floor beneath them. All three of them slipped into the chasm as the ground crumbled around them; stone and tile and concrete groaning and shattering as Ladybug tried to cast out her yo-yo to save herself. She lost her concentration half-way through her throw, when Chat Blanc tackled her mid-air. Desperate, she tried to kick him away, but he held on tight.

They hit the ground hard, despite the soft grass and dirt. Chat’s hand on the back of her head, and the way he rolled their bodies immediately upon impact, absorbed the worst of the shock. Ladybug maintained the motion of the roll to force Chat off of her with her knees, and he yelped as he was flung nearly to the edge of the garden. He caught himself on the ledge with his claws, his body dangling over the empty air that lead to water down below.

Ladybug got to her feet, groaning, as Papillon summoned his cane to his hands. She was unable to dodge when he swung, but she raised her arm in time to prevent the cane from colliding with her head. The weight behind the blow knocked her to the ground, and Ladybug hurled out her other arm to try and break her fall. She landed in a plant.

Chat hauled himself back up from the precipice, his claws scrambling for purchase on the slick concrete, but once he was back on his feet, he was charging at Papillon. Confronted now with his son, Ladybug was left alone, her earrings beeping. Where had her Lucky Charm gone?!

“Look what you’re doing, dearest Adrien!” Papillon raged, his cane colliding with Chat’s baton. “Your mother is _here_! You could _save_ her!”

“Stop it! Leave me alone!”

“We can be a family again, my son! Happy and whole!”

Ladybug pushed herself to her feet. “My Adrien, don’t listen to him!”

Chat’s mouth fell into a scowl. “ _I am Chat Blanc_!” 

His brief moment of distraction was all Papillon needed to gain the upper hand, and Chat hit the ground much harder than Ladybug had. She rushed to him, tripping Papillon with her yo-yo as she went by so that they had some time, but Chat Blanc reeled backwards from her touch. He whimpered as Ladybug hastily tried to comfort him.

“Chat…” She said, her voice soft as Papillon struggled to get back up. “I’d never hurt you. You know that, right?”

A single tear fell down his face, and Ladybug reached up and pushed it away with her thumb. 

“Milady… Save me…” He pleaded. 

Her heart broke into a hundred pieces as their eyes met. Blue stared into blue, both filled with pain and desperation, and a dozen different emotions and messages passed between them. He was tired, she was broken; he was filled with grief, and she with fear. She understood all that he wanted in those precious seconds, and what he wanted was not his mother, not his father- but _her_.

The gloved hand that struck her across the face brought the reality of their situation into sharp focus. 

Before she could even push herself back up, Chat let loose an anguished howl that sent shivers of terror down her spine. Her ears were ringing from the hit, but she still heard his voice as he shrieked, summoning forth his power. Some part of her tried to stop him, to prevent him from doing this, but her body couldn’t move past the shock and agony and her spinning head.

“ _Cataclysm_!” 

And the explosion that followed left her nearly deaf. 

Ladybug didn’t think. Instead, she grabbed Chat Blanc, covered both their heads with her arms, and tugged him to the ground as the basement caved in around them. She kept her eyes closed - she didn’t need to see the casket as it was buried under debris when she could hear the shattering of the glass - and Ladybug moved her other hand over Adrien’s eyes so he couldn’t witness his destruction either. 

He was shaking the entire time.

Finally, the collapse settled after several long seconds that felt like minutes. Ladybug lifted her head first, and she inhaled sharply. The basement was near unrecognizable through the thick dust in the air, but the sun was shining through. The plants that did remain were a stark contrast to the mass of brown, black, and gray that Chat’s latest Cataclysm had created. 

Papillon- no, _Gabriel Agreste_ \- was dead. 

Both heroes were slow to get to their feet. They both approached the rubble, but there was no body to be found. Instead, Ladybug came upon piles of ash and cinders, and a purple jewel. When she picked it up, it morphed into a pin with four sharp wings: the butterfly miraculous. The implications to her were clear, but she said nothing to Chat Blanc. 

Because he was crying, standing away from the mess that covered his mother’s casket, hugging himself as he sobbed. Ladybug cupped his cheeks in her hands, wiping away his tears, but he shook his head frantically.

“I… I…didn’t mean...”

“I know, _mon chaton_.” 

She did her best to comfort him as her hearing slowly returned. He fell into her embrace easily, and she moved her hands to his hair, scratching behind his ears to try and help him relax. But Chat was beside himself with grief, hysterical and overwhelmed, and Ladybug realized that his father had died while emotionally connected with his son.

Part of her was glad that he was dead. The other part said it wasn’t fair. 

It took a long while for his sobs to start to fade, and when he hiccuped, Ladybug reached between them to tug at the bell at his throat. A clawed hand gripped her wrist, preventing her from pulling on it, and he frantically shook his head back and forth.

“Mayura…” He choked out. 

“We don’t need you to be an akuma for that,” Ladybug jested, but her words fell flat. He let loose one last sob as she yanked the bell free from his suit, crushed the bell in her hands, and they watched the butterfly flap free.

She didn’t even speak as she captured it, cleansed it, and let it loose. For awhile, it fluttered around them, but it eventually landed on a still-standing bush.

Chat Noir looked...drained. There was no other word or phrase that Ladybug could think of to describe the way his shoulders slumped, his eyes dimmed, and his face sagged. She had to hold him up when his knees finally gave in. Chat mumbled, “Claws in,” freeing Plagg from his ring and leaving Adrien in her arms. She hugged him tighter.

“I have to find my Lucky Charm,” she whispered into his hair. He nodded, and she sat him down on the grass before wandering away to pick through the rubble. Luckily, the plush unicorn wasn’t too far away and it hadn’t been buried, but as she picked it up and examined it, she wondered why Tikki had given her this instead of something...useful.

Ladybug walked back to Adrien. He was staring at the debris. 

“I did that?” He said, his voice quiet, but it echoed in the silence of the basement. 

She could only nod.

They stayed like that for a moment, Adrien leaning his head against her leg as they stared at the ruins around them, until she took a deep breath, pulled back her arm, and said, “Miracu-”

“Hold off on that, minibug.” 

She stumbled forward. Adrien was back to his feet in a second, fists raised, but he calmed down when he realized it was only Bunnix, the time-traveling holder of the rabbit miraculous. Both of them stared at her, confused, and Ladybug hesitated before speaking. 

“What’re you...doing here?”

Bunnix looked sad. It was the most serious Ladybug had ever seen her. 

“I need to talk with you. Both of you.”

Ladybug turned and looked at the mess again, back at Adrien, and she flinched when her earrings gave a final, pestering beep. “Not here,” Ladybug said. “Can we...go somewhere else?”

“Your room?” Bunnix asked, opening a white portal behind her. Ladybug hesitated, then nodded.

* * *

They left the large, hollow, aching basement that had become the resting place of Adrien’s parents for the pink, cheerful walls of Marinette’s bedroom. Adrien followed willingly; he didn’t want to be in the mansion any longer than necessary, and his girlfriend’s room offered him some comfort. Now in the privacy of her own home, Ladybug let her transformation fall. She briefly left Adrien and Alix to retrieve food for the kwamis and water bottles for the rest of them, but the second she was back, Marinette sat right next to Adrien on the floor. 

He looked exhausted, as if all the emotions that had been bubbling and festering inside of him had suddenly been replaced with lead. The second she was settled, he rested his head on her shoulder, his eyes drifting close.

“After this,” he mumbled. “I need a shower.”

Marinette smiled. “And food?”

“I’m as hungry as a wolf, so yes.”

In front of them, Bunnix paced back and forth across her room.

“This isn’t right,” she started, glancing down at them as she tapped her chin with her fist and nibbled on her thumbnail. “But...this is the most stable of the timelines that I’ve found, and-”

“Wait,” Adrien stopped her. “ _Stable_?”

Bunnix looked uneasy, but she soon went straight into the details. “I’ve known about Chat Noir’s akumatisation for a long time. I’m trying to find a way to prevent it, reverse it, or find a reality that doesn’t change the future. My present. But almost always… Chat Blanc destroys Paris.” 

Both Adrien and Marinette inhaled sharply in shock. Bunnix stopped her pacing.

“I don’t know what makes _this_ timeline different, but you’re the first Minibug I’ve met still _alive_ afterwards. Yet after witnessing it play out, I have to interfere. This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen either.” 

They looked back at each other in a mixture of shock and fear, but it was Adrien’s face that caved in with grief. He had lost his father, his mother, _and_ his Lady? Maybe he could put off food a while longer.

“How _what’s_ supposed to happen?” Marinette asked once she found her voice, directing her gaze back to Bunnix.

“Everything.”

Adrien reached for her hand, and she gave it to him. He squeezed it tightly, and she squeezed it back as she regarded him with concern. She found fear, love, anxiety, and hope in his eyes - and she tried to convey all her own emotions back to him, knowing he could see them clear as day.

“I have to go back and prevent Chat Blanc from happening in the first place,” Bunnix started pacing again. “But...I don’t know where to start. I don’t know the _exact_ trigger for the event, the catalyst if you will.” 

“And you think we would? That’s why you’re looking for me?” Marinette asked quietly, still looking at Adrien.

“Possibly. Or an idea of a date, an event, _something_. I can’t pressure you for specifics, but if anything comes to mind…”

Adrien looked down at their joined hands, thinking.

“May second,” he mumbled. “I… That’s the day we started dating.” 

She stopped and instantly sat in front of them, her knees folded underneath her. They both watched as Bunnix’s eyes went wide. “That was over _four months_ ago!” 

And they both flinched, but Adrien continued. “My father...interfered with our relationship a few weeks back. Marinette was nearly akumatised, so I…” He stopped.

“It was raining,” Marinette continued, realising that he wouldn’t. “Adrien transformed, in front of me and…” She nibbled her bottom lip.

“Nathalie must’ve been watching.”

“You destroyed the akuma before it reached me. You called me, ‘milady.’ You must’ve known I was Ladybug.”

“I did.” 

They had discussed this once already, while holding mugs of hot chocolate and hiding from the storm, but the information was still new to Bunnix. She was glancing between them, worried and distressed. She took a deep breath and sighed.

“I cannot prevent your father from interfering in your relationship. If that was how he discovered your identities, then I will have to go back further in time. I...don’t like the alternative of an akumatised Marinette.”

Adrien winced, and Marinette leaned her forehead against his, cupping his cheek with her free hand. 

“If…” Bunnix continued, hesitant. “No, _when_ I figure this out and return us to the correct timeline, this one may cease to exist. I’ll have to bring a Ladybug of the past to the future, a future where she doesn’t exist and that she can fix, and it won’t be this one.”

“Because I’m already here.” Marinette said gravely. Bunnix nodded and Adrien whimpered.

“You mean…” He choked, pulling away from her. “I… I’ve…”

“As the akuma, yes.” Bunnix forced out. “But I’m going to change that. I’m going to change _all_ that. I’m the one who will make sure we get the _right_ solution, where no one has to die.”

“Wouldn’t the Miraculous Ladybug just bring Gabriel back anyway?” Marinette mumbled, but Adrien’s expression turned more dark. 

“I’d hope not.”

“Possibly,” Bunnix admitted. “But I don’t know. Like I said, you’re the first Ladybug I’ve encountered.” She lowered her head to stare at the floor, thinking. 

“Marinette, I know this is a lot to ask of you, of your Paris, but please don’t use the Miraculous cure again. I don’t want to risk this becoming the _new_ timeline, when so much has gone so wrong…”

Her stomach flipped. The damage left by Chat Blanc wasn’t the worst akuma devastation Paris had ever faced, but her thoughts drifted to the sinkhole by the Eiffel Tower, the various collapsed roofs and walls of buildings, and the devastated basement of the Agreste Mansion. They would have to fix all of that...by hand. 

And honestly, Marinette did not want to know what else had gone wrong. 

“I can honour that promise, Bunnix.”

“Thank you.”

The silence that fell between them felt tangible. Bunnix fidgeted, but after a minute, she got to her feet and unhooked her umbrella from her back. She paused when Adrien inhaled sharply.

“I’m going to lose Milady,” Adrien said, his voice soft. “I’m going to lose Marinette.”

“Not for forever, _mon chaton_.” Marinette teased, but Adrien was ignoring her in favour of staring up at Bunnix. 

“You don’t understand,” he mumbled. “These last four months… It’s like I’ve been _found_. I was _lost_ , barely treading water, and suddenly it felt like I could breathe. Like I’ve never known air my whole life until-” Adrien glanced at Marinette with pink cheeks, and she blinked at him before giving him a soft, encouraging smile. “-until _she_ blew in.” He shifted his gaze back to Bunnix. “I don’t want to know what this summer would’ve been like without her. Hell, at the least, or torture.”

“Adrien…” Marinette laid her hand on his knee, but he shook his head.

“It’s true, Milady.”

Bunnix blinked down at them, and she sighed. “I’m sorry, Adrien. I promise that...the future is better. The future that I will bring about will be better.”

The two of them stared at each other, one with fire in his eyes and the other with sorrow, but Adrien eventually nodded his clenched jaw and looked away. Bunnix turned to Marinette. 

“I’m sorry that I must ask this of you, but… please be patient. I’ll come back if I need any more answers. Thank you.”

“Thank you, Bunnix. Good luck.”

She opened a portal to her burrow, and she left. 

* * *

“We’re…going to lose each other. Again.”

“I promise I’ll find you as soon as I can, _mon chaton_.”

“Please. I cannot imagine my life without you, Milady.”

For the next several hours, Marinette and Adrien chose to spend as much time together as they could. They picked themselves off the floor, curled up in her bed, and held each other, their words quiet and soft, their fingers trembling. They felt young, vulnerable, and weaker than ever - but it was worth it to hold each other. They exchanged emotions they had no words for, discussed what ifs and whys and hows, but most of all, they hoped that they would find this again some day, somehow, some way…

Yet when the hours started to turn afternoon sunlight into evening, they made an effort to go downstairs and talk with Marinette’s parents. She got Adrien a change of clothes and a towel, ushered him into the bathroom, and then turned to her parents.

“Can Adrien spend the night?” 

Both of her parents raised their brows at her, but Marinette couldn’t find the energy to blush. She looked for a lie, an excuse, but it was the truth that eventually tumbled from her mouth.

“The akuma...attacked his house. His father is missing. I… I don’t want him to go back to...to that… Not alone. Not if I can help it.” She was ashamed to admit that she wanted to cry. 

Yet her parents instantly understood, and when Adrien emerged from the bathroom with wet hair and tired eyes, they swept him up into hugs and kisses and a warm, welcoming dinner that brought a small smile to his face. All the while, he held Marinette’s hand beneath the table, not caring that he had to eat his food left-handed to keep himself grounded.

And the evening hours continued. They went to bed, but they stayed awake for as long as they could, talking and sharing soft kisses. And when the words ran out, they held each other and dozed.

They awoke to early morning, their lives hadn’t changed, and Bunnix had yet to make her return.

They sat down and had a thorough discussion. Time was moving forward, and they came to the same conclusion.

“We have to- _need_ to- keep on living. We need to move forward.”

Adrien nodded.

* * *

“Mayor Bourgeois, my partner and I would like to make an announcement.” 

“How’d you get _in_ here?!”

Ladybug glanced at Chat Noir as they stood in the Mayor’s office. They had come through the window, of course, but Chat raised an eyebrow at her as if to ask, ‘how _did_ we accomplish that?’ 

“It doesn’t matter,” Ladybug stated, looking back at the Mayor. “How soon can you organize a press conference for us? It’s important.”

The answer, it turned out, was two and a half hours. 

Ladybug stood at the front of the podium, staring out over a small gathering of reporters, her chest tight. Her panic must’ve been displayed on her face, because Chat stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. She glanced back at him, and he firmly nodded. To show her thanks, she covered his hand with her own and smiled at him. 

She took a deep breath and turned to face the mic and the crowd. 

"First of all, I want to thank all of you for coming on such short notice.” Her voice was level and confident, and it was amplified around her by speakers she couldn’t see. “This will hopefully be a quick announcement, but to the citizens of Paris, I must admit that I have both great news and bad news. Two days ago, Chat Noir and I discovered Papillon's identity. Yesterday, we were able to successfully retrieve the source of his power. Akuma attacks will no longer be an occurrence in the city of Paris."

Even before the words had completely left her mouth, the reporters had erupted with questions: They asked for Papillon’s identity, the status of the white akuma that had been spotted, the state of the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower...

"Please, quiet." Ladybug asked, and they all fell silent.

"I regret to inform the public that due to the nature of the akuma in congruence with this event, I am unable to repair the damage caused by Blanc, the white akuma that many have been reporting. The akuma has been cleansed and the victim has been returned safely home-" But the reporters hadn’t kept their silence. They were firing off more even questions, yelling for her attention, and Ladybug wavered. They were angrier, demanding answers, and she couldn't-

Chat Noir stepped forward, confident and cool. He leaned into the mic, and she stepped aside.

"The Agreste family," he spoke fluidly, and the crowd went quiet again. "Has generously offered to start a fund for the necessary repairs, for both landmarks and civilians. Their home was also terribly damaged by the akuma, and they offer their sympathies to all affected by the devastation."

This time, when the reporters tried to intervene, Chat Noir put a hand on his Lady’s back, and led her away.

The following day, the Agreste family had indeed set up such a fund, but they also released news of Gabriel Agreste’s death, the singular casualty of the akuma. To Marinette and Adrien, it was a bit of a relief: if there had been other deaths linked to his akumatisation, the guilt would’ve eaten them both alive. As it stood, they went about handling the death as best they could, but in the end, it was Nathalie who arranged most of it.

Of course, some tabloids put the clues together. The rumors started pouring in not even a week later. They had decided to meet with their friends for lunch, even if they knew it was pointless, but the first thing Alya presented them with on Monday was a magazine.

 _Gabriel Agreste was Papillon?!_ Was typed across its front with bold letters. Adrien stared at it, dazed, but he snorted loudly after Marinette nudged him.

After lunch, they read it.

“I’m surprised how much they got _right_.” Marinette lamented, staring at the blurry photograph of Chat Blanc the magazine had managed to publish. 

“Really?” Adrien growled, drinking from a water bottle. They had sat down in the park, but the afternoon sun was hot and harsh. “What, did they guess I’m Chat Noir?”

“No,” Marinette clarified. “They guessed that you’re the akuma.”

He went stiff. She grasped his hand, rubbing her thumb along the back.

Over the next few days and weeks, other rumors started gaining track as well. That Blanc was Chat Noir, that Ladybug had been killed, that Papillon was going to quietly be serving jail time. They had a laugh about most of it, but only because it felt better than crying. 

That was the other thing. It had been weeks. August ended, September began, and they found themselves in school.

The first time they transformed after the press conference was four days into the new semester. Together, they ran across the rooftops of Paris and chased each other in circles. They climbed the Eiffel Tower, still closed for repairs, and they jumped across busy streets as cars zipped past below. They retrieved the peacock miraculous that night.

And the next day, they turned in all four miraculous to Master Fu.

Marinette did not tell him about Bunnix. Adrien asked her why later on, but she only shook her head.

“I don’t want him meddling with our future anymore.” 

Weeks turned into months.

Sometimes, they dared to believe that maybe, their timeline wasn’t doomed. They forced themselves to study, they hung out with friends, and they learned to say goodbye as if it wasn’t the last time they’d ever see each other. They went on dates and held hands and learned to be a couple. And sometimes, they dared to dream about a future together. 

On a blistery evening in November, Marinette sat at a cafe with her boyfriend, smiling and laughing, when she spotted something bright and pink in the sky. Her smile fell, and he noticed. Adrien turned around and watched the swarm of ladybugs grow and sweep across the skyline. 

He reached for her, and her for him. 

“Will I see you again, Milady?”

She smiled.

“Of course, _mon chaton_. I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Maman: Mum  
> Mon chaton: my kitten  
> Père: Father  
> Vous êtes sans couilles!: vulgar expression, 'you are a coward'.  
> Une lavette: an insult, a wash rag  
> Mlle: Mademoiselle, Miss  
> Blanc: White
> 
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